Shorty’s.32 – A Surprise Entry into the Top 10

Posted on 01/09/2009 by Rev

Shorty’s.32
http://www.shortys32.com
199 Prince St
New York, NY 10012

THE STORY
What started out as a simple double date turned into a surprise Burger Conquest. But who doesn’t love a good surprise? This tiny restaurant in Soho brownstone only sits 32 people and serves New American cuisine. Shorty’s.32 small size gives it the appearance of some one’s eclectic dining room.

THE BURGER
As I looked over the very limited menu, my friends suggested I get the burger. “Is this going to be one of those?” I asked. “Better get out your camera,” I was told. With only 2 choices for cheese, I ordered a burger medium rare with cheddar, lettuce and onions. My friends, Matt and Melissa, both urged me to go outside my norm and “get the bacon!” It was the right call. The burger was fantastic; juicy, cooked to perfection and full of flavor. The bacon was salty but slightly sweet and when pressed up against some delicious cheddar cheese, made for a perfect pair. Shorty, the owner, asked me how was the burger and I told him “an instant entry into the top 10.”

You gotta try this burger and while you are there, be sure you order the Macaroni and cheese. Most restaurant mac and cheese is bland and boring because we all grew up on Kraft, which is amazing. I have to hand to Shorty’s.32, it’s crispy on top and bursting with cheesy goodness. I had to split it with my wife (who also loved it) because it’s a large portion. With all this great food, it would be easy to overlook the french fries, which were also delicious.


8 out 10 ounces
-Rev


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Rossi’s Bar and Grill – ChambersBurger

Posted on 01/08/2009 by Rev

Rossi’s Bar & Grill
http://rossiburger.com/
501 Morris Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08611

THE STORY
Rossi’s Bar & Grill is located in Chambersburg, which is Trenton, NJ’s “Little Italy.” Rossi’s is the kind of place that passes on from generation. Your parents took you there as a kid and you still go now as an adult. Friendly service, warm atmosphere and great food make for a place you can share with kids, adults, parents and friends. It’s the kind place that prides itself on a great burger.

Rossi’s has a bar and a restaurant area and we chose to sit in the former. I asked the bartender “can we order food at the bar?” He answered “sorry guys. We decided to stop serving food.” When he paused before continuing, I looked at my friends, surveyed the room to see if others were eating and then with an extremely puzzled and probably upset look on I my face, I asked “really?” The bartender laughed, handed us menus and asked what we wanted to drink.

THE BURGER
Although Rossi’s offers a full menu, it’s all about the burger. I ordered a burger cooked medium rare with cheddar cheese, onions and lettuce along with a side of well done fries. It was a monster of a sandwich better eaten with 2 hands. Russ opted to cut his in half but I dove right in. It was exactly as promised and anticipated. A perfectly cooked, old-school, manly sized burger. No need for fancy toppings or specialty beef mixes, Rossi’s keeps it simple. A great roll, fresh lettuce, raw onions and a nice slice of cheese helped to make this greasy burger a good one.

I like a simple burger done right and that’s exactly what you get at Rossi’s.

Be sure to check out the amazing looking bacon on Bram’s burger!


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



R.I.P. Lynn – This one was warm, friendly and welcoming, just like you. Cheers.

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Shake Shack – Cure the Common Hangover

Posted on 01/03/2009 by Rev

Shake Shack
http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/
11 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010

For centuries man has sought to remedy his ails. Many cures throughout the ages have been discovered, but one in particular still puzzles the species, the hangover. One this particularly cold New York City morning, I found myself searching for a similar cure.

Enter, Shake Shack, one of the most heralded and sought after hamburgers in the big apple. The Shack is located in Manhattan’s Madison park where they’ve been serving up hand held happiness since 2004. The place has out door seating only and is notorious for long, long lines of people queuing up to get their hands on the west coast style (ALA In-N-Out Burger) and believe me, it’s well worth it.

At 11:30 am on a Saturday morning in 32 degree weather, the line is pretty darn short! One large diet coke, crispy crinkle cut fries with Shake Shack’s signature cheddar / American cheese sauce and one ShackBurger, hold the tomato. The secret to the Shake Shack’s delicious hamburger is their meat; a concoction of 25% brisket + 25% chuck + 50% sirloin = 100% awesome! Or in this case;

Shack Lunch + Freezing air – hangover = Happy!


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

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Paul’s Burger Place – All Picture and Pile

Posted on 01/02/2009 by Rev

Paul’s Burger
http://www.paulsburgers.com/
131 2nd Avenue
Manhattan, NY 10003

THE STORY
Paul’s Burger Place was the first burger joint in NYC that I fell in love with. Many a nights I chowed down on a Turkey burger with chili and eggs before seeing bands at the famous but now defunct rock clubs, Coney Island High and CBGB. Although Burger Conquest didn’t exist, Paul’s has been open since 1989. Paul’s has a 50s diner vibe with a mess of vintage toys and decorations about the place which provides for a unique experience.

THE BURGER
With so many topping options, it took a minute decide what I wanted. Burger cooked medium rare, always on an English Muffin, with a fried egg and cheddar cheese. The burger to bun ratio showed a lot of beef on all sides. But size counted for little as the burger was not only over cooked but flavorless. So big and poorly put together was the patty, that it fell apart after only a few bites. Not nearly as good as I remember. I am guessing its a lower grade beef than we are used to.

Matt ordered a double burger with blue cheese and bacon. The sheer gargantuan size of the burger was cause for enough challenge. Unfortunately it fell apart so quickly that it was reduced to a greasy pile.

While a good time was had, a good burger was not.


5 out of 10 ounces
-Rev




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House of Brews – Looks That Kill

Posted on 01/01/2009 by Rev

House of Brews
http://www.houseofbrewsny.com
302 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019

House of Brews has 2 locations in Manhattan’s Theater district / Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a great pub to meet people for happy hour or to have one of their very wide selection of beers. With 1 Burger Conquest already in my belly today, I had not planned on second. But while at the pub with some other Conquesters, we saw this on a menu;

“Manhattan Slider Platter $45
15 mini burgers topped with cheddar cheese or BBQ pulled pork topped with garlic slaw.”

15 burgers on one plate? How could we say no? We didn’t but honestly, we should have. The only thing impressive about them was the presentation. 15 sliders on a plate with a sea of french fries in the middle looks really cool. Unfortunately, that is where it ended.The fries were good but that’s easy to do. The burgers tasted more like actually flame broiling or the grill they were cooked on than ground beef and cheese between bread. When you considered they cost $3 a piece, it was even more depressing.If you end up at House of Brews, stick to the beer.


4 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

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White Castle Microwaveables – New Year’s Hangover Cure

Posted on 01/01/2009 by Rev

White Castle Microwaveable
http://www.whitecastle.com/
Happy New Year fellow conquesters.

To ring in the new year appropriately I wanted my first meal to be hamburgers. Unfortunately I spent the holiday in upstate New York at family member’s house. They’re still all asleep, my car is back home and I’m in a town that’s miles from a great burger. What to do?

This is where my childhood years as a scout pay off. “Always Be Prepared,” is the Cub / Boy scouts motto and today I most certainly followed it. I picked up a little somethin’ somethin’ along with my holiday mixers before the party.

Awwww White Castle, oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways. 1, 2…as in how many burgers come in a pack. Leave to the world’s best slider chain to give you their goods any where, any time, so long as you have a microwave.

For a $1.99, you can’t beat it! They only take 35 seconds to cook if already thawed! How can magic happen that quickly? Only the wizard high up in the White Castle tower can answer. Added bonus for me, they come exactly how I order them when I’m on location; cheese and onions only. No pickles or catsup for this purest.

From all of us a Burger Conquest, we hope 2009 is a prosperous and happy year for all of you.

White Castle Microwavebales vs. New Year’s Hangover – winner = me.

From THE GREAT BURGER CONQUEST

7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

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Trailer Park Lounge – A Million dot commers can be wrong

Posted on 12/30/2008 by Rev

Trailer Park Lounge
http://trailerparklounge.com/
271 W 23rd St
New York, NY 10011

Question: What does Hamburger America, NYC Food guy, A Hamburger Today, Burger Club New York, BurgerClub.org, New York City Search, Gridskipper, Urban Spoon, NYMag.com, The New York Daily News, Manhattan.About.Com and Zagat all have in common? They have all some how forsaken one of the best burgers in New York…The Trailer Park Lounge.

I eat a lot of burgers, I read a lot of lists about burgers, I RSS a lot of burger blogs and news feeds. You can pretty much say that I am a hamburger obsessed, crazed, junkie, fanatical, fiendish, captivated, fixated, possessed and so on and so on. I devote a lot of my time and my money to one of America’s greatest hot sandwiches. I take the hamburger very seriously. So I am absolutely befuddled that my brothers and sisters of the burger have some how forsaken one of the greats.

But that is why I am here right?

Dressed up to look like the front lawn of a real trailer, the Trailer Park Lounge in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood was voted one of the top 5 “kitschiest restaurants in America” by the Food Network. Complete with a Tiki Bar, lawn flamingos, velvet Elvis’, bowling decor and the actual side of a real trailer, you won’t find a more fun and wacky place to have a burger in the 4 corners of the globe. Be sure to head over on Monday’s and Tuesday’s for the “Burger and beer” special for only $7.49. If you time it right, you can get $3 cans or drafts and $5 margaritas during “Happy Silly Giddy” hour from 4-7 pm.

You can order tacos, chili, chicken sandwiches, tacos and all sorts of other trailer treats but honestly, it’s all about the grilled burger. These suckers come on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and your choice of cheese. Order em cooked how you like which if you are like me, you go medium rare. The burgers are juicy, not greasy and the patty to bun ratio shows beef on all sides! The salty meat, the tangy cheese and the toasted bun will leave you All Shook Up.”

All burgers come with sweet potato fries or tater tots and you may as well pretend the first option doesn’t exist. Any burger fan worth their weight in ground chuck knows, it’s all about the tot baby!! They are the carbohydrate version of heroine and no one does them better than the Lounge. If you have the stomach or have others you can share with, get the mac and cheese. It’s just about the best damn M&C; since your mother’s kitchen.

If Elvis is still alive, you’ll find him at the Trailer Park Lounge wolfing down a “double-wide” with cheese and chili mac.

So to my burger eating friends mentioned above, say when and I’m there.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



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McDonalds – Taxi Cab Confessions

Posted on 12/30/2008 by Rev

McDonald’s
http://www.mcnewyork.com/20219/
114 Delancey St
New York, NY 10002

Am I that addicted to cheese burgers? Do I have to have one at any cost? Am I not able to resist? Is my will power that weak?

You could blame it on the drinks I had with some friends, catching up over the holidays, but I think it was the burger. I just can’t say no.

Truthfully, it was pretty good, even in the back of a taxi cab.


6 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

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The Burger Joint – You can’t hide a winner

Posted on 12/29/2008 by Rev

Burger Joint
http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php
118 W 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

What to do with the day off? Go on a Burger Conquest of course! Unfortunately for us, we weren’t the only ones with the day off. But then again, an hour wait for the Burger Joint in New York City’s Parker Meridien hotel is pretty standard. We figured with a 2 pm arrival, the lunch rush would be over but boy were we wrong!

The not so secret nor so hidden Burger Joint can be found behind a curtain, at the end of a roped line, underneath a neon hamburger sign in the lobby of the hotel. If you haven’t been before, believe me, I didn’t just let the cat out of the bag or in this case, the fries out of the bag. The Burger Joint is a tourist, foodie and burger maniac full on attraction. It’s listed in nearly every best of hamburger list for NYC and for a good reason!

We waited in line for 40 minutes before we got in the door and that’s when the real frustration begins. You still have to wait to get to the counter, wait for you food and wait for your table. It’s a tiny little hole in the wall with a limited menu. Best make sure you know your order before you get to the counter, otherwise you will face the wrath of anxious burger-questers.

It’s a standard white bun which doesn’t win them favors with me but after just one bite, it didn’t matter. My medium rare slab of ground beef with cheese, lettuce, onion and mustard instantly placed into my best of hamburger list. Wow. Greasy, full of flavor, great bun to burger ratio, just the right amount of cheese and Dijon mustard. They nailed it, the burger is fantastic. Merry Christmeat to me! The burger is $7 which is pretty pricey for what seems like a small burger but as I bit into my 2nd one, I realized, I should’ve just had one or skipped the amazing chocolate sake.

But after that kind of wait, what would you have done?


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

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Crunchy’s – The Best in Buckets

Posted on 12/22/2008 by Rev

Crunchy’s
http://www.crunchyseastlansing.com/
254 W Grand River Ave
East Lansing, MI 48823

Located in downtown East Lansing, the home of Michigan State University, Crunchy’s proudly holds the title of “Best Burger in Town.” In the 5 years I attended school there, I can honestly say that I was never served a better burger than the 1/2 pound crunchy burger. In fact, I even had a meal plan at Crunchy’s. With great burgers, pizza and other bar related food items and beer available by giant mug or by bucket, it made for the perfect college dining experience.

Since the place was opened by original owner, Paul “Crunchy” Gratarolla in 1982, Crunchy’s gone through several changes. New ownership, a patio, weekly karaoke and a beer menu beyond light and dark Stroh’s but it has kept one thing — the moniker “Best Burger in Town.” Leave it to Burger Conquest to put it to the test.

We started with a “Bucket O’Pizza Nugs” – deep fried pepperoni and cheese in dough, covered with Parmesan and served with dipping sauces. They were very tasty shoe horn into a heart attack. As always, I went cheese burger served medium rare. They over cooked Cara’s and Molly’s burgers as well as my own and undercooked Lynette’s bucket of “Lion Stout Buddys,” Crunchy’s take on a sliders that have been marinated in their exclusive Lion Stout beer, which is never a good start. But once they righted the wrong, the feasting began.

The burger choices are plentiful at Crunchy’s but for me it could only be one, the Famous Crunchy Burger. A simple white bun, wrapped around a delicious and juicy 1/2 ounce piece of hamburger and cheese entered my mouth. It was just as I remembered, tasty, delicious and wonderful. The burger was bigger than the bun but just right. Oh man, if I only lived closer!

The Famous Crunchy burger proved it’s the Best in town.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



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